Blood and Ice (Scourge )
by Mister Nailbrain
Summary: "To lead is to rule with an iron claw." None know this more than Scourge, leader of the ascending BloodClan. Surrounded by vicious rogues and killers, Scourge must use every ounce of his fearsome skills and wits to stay on top. For among the fierce cats of BloodClan, to falter is to die!
1. Watchingalways watching

Pattering on the cold hard stone, the rain soaked the cats gathered in the alleyway. Yet none dared to seek shelter underneath the old rusting dumpster. For watching them from within the close confines of the makeshift den, two ice blue eyes studied them. Wind blowing through his thick, ebony fur, the tom adjusted his collar. As fearsome as it made him look, the rattling that the hollow claws and fang trophies hanging lifelessly from the tattered band made in the echoing wind along with the constant, slight scatching of them against his throat, irritated the tom from time to time, forcing him to readjust the beaten, purple leather.  
Claws scraping against the cold, hard floor, the tom itched for something to happen. A challenge. Someone to contest his will and challenge him to combat. But he knew they wouldn't. Not after that example he had made of that forest cat. Smirking he could still picture the tom's arrogant sneer turn to sheer terror as he slit his throat. It had taken ice in his veins to allow Scourge to kill that cat. Even though it should have melted, the ice instead grew colder and colder, chilling his heart and making him more and more distant from his victims. And Scourge welcomed it.  
Closing his eyes, the night black tom forced himself to relive the memory. He saw it. The forest. The tabby warrior clawing savagely at the defenceless kit while his mentor jeered him on. Only through the intervention of a blue grey she cat pitying the kit, had he survived.  
" That was then, this is now," thought Scourge darkly, "I'll show them. I'm not small! I'm not weak! I am the scourge on the name of all cats and I will have my revenge!"  
Glancing down, he snapped an old hike bone under his paw. Throughly enjoying the satisfying snap, he pictured a certain dark brown tabby lying dead underneath his paws. For now though he was simply cone t to just sit and watch everyone and everything that transpired around him.  
Always watching.


	2. Agressive Negotiations

A chilling morning breeze blew over twoleg place as the sun began to appear over the horizon . As he felt its light and gentle touch, Scourge's blue eyes flickered open. As his pupils took in the first rays of sunlight, going from dark, deep pools to narrow slits, he stretched his muscles.  
A familiar scent then flowed his nostrils and Scourge looked up to see a large black and white tom padding towards him. Bone had always been loyal to Scourge and was one of the only cats Scourge could be said to trust. Or at least be trusted more than others.  
Scratching his own crimson, tooth studded cola, Bone dipped hus head to Scourge, even as he yowled over the diminutive tom.  
" There have been some...complications in the north of our territory." He said trying to avoid direct eye contact as he searched for the words which wouldn't send Scourge into a bloodthirsty rage.  
" Go on," meowed Scourge in a tone calm yet menacing.  
" There is tom who lives on the edge of our territory. A brute called Scar. He has refused to acknowledge you as our rightful leader. Some cats have even been going to join the no good flea bag! " Bone spat.  
Scourge exhaled lightly and instinctively unsheathed his claws. Despite his best efforts to contain himself, a red fury had descended upon his mind.  
"We must deal with this now," he spat, "Bone lead the way." Nodding and glad not to be the item at which Scourge would vent his terrible anger upon, Bone padded off toward the north. Following his deputy through the labyrinthine alleys and passageways that made up Twolegplace, Scourge thought of how best to deal with he situation. He would have to make an example of Scar without causing him to be a martyr in the eyes of those foolish enough to follow hI'm. So caught up was he in his thoughts, Scourge dod not notice the figure watching him from the corner of the dark alleyway.  
" My, my, my, what do we have here?" purred a voice smoother than silk. Looking up, Scourge saw the lithe, supple shape of a she cat in front of him. Her red pelt allowed her to blend in perfectly with the twoleg nests around her. Only her eyes gave her away. Those burning amber eyes.  
" Not now Brick?" Scourge growled, "I have business to attend to."  
"I dare say you do," smirked Brick, "I just hope that you didn't intend to leave me out of the fun."  
Scourge snorted. The she cat was skilled no doubt, but she had a little too much bravado for his liking at times. Still he could use all the help he could get.  
" Join us or leave us," he rolled his eye padding know, "Just don't get in my way!"  
Smirking even more, Brick began to pad alongside him and Bone as they neared the edge of their territory. Cold, merciless eyes watched them from every corner, burning into the back of their necks although no cat would come out to challenge the intruders. Bone unsheathed his claws and growled while Brick raised her hackles and spat into the shadows. Scourge however remained eerily calm.  
" Well," He called into the darkness? "We are here. Come and see who is the true power in this territory."  
Suddenly a sound similar to a badger sinking into a bog filled the atmosphere and it took Scourge several heartbeats to realise that the sound was someone laughing. Emerging from the shadows came a large grey furred tom. Covering his entire body, the network if deep scars alerted Scourge that he was facing no pampered kittypet but a seasoned fighter who had earned his claws many moons ago.  
"Well well," Scar smiled, "I have to admit I was expecting Scourge to appear himself but it seems the leader of this ne, so called "BloodClan" is too afraud so has sent a kit to do his dirty work."  
" I am Scourge!" Spat the black tom unsheathing his claws, "Until I slay you, you will address me as such."  
" You...are Scourge," Scar broke off into a fit of barely controllable laughter, only fuelling Scourge's anger, as two warriors padded alongside him. "A little word of advice kittypet, you're a little on the short side to try and be threatening. This shouldn't take long."  
" Indeed," Scourge sneered evilly, "I bet in the next...shall we say thirty seconds, that I leave here with your teeth hanging from my neck. Care to take that bet?"  
"You can try," snarled Scar lunging at Scourge. Dodging seeming effortlessly, Scourge lashed out at the tom's shoulder knocking him off balance. Before the tom could recover Scourge was upon hom. Desparate to throw him off, Scar lashed out with his hind paws, sending Scourge flying off.  
As Scourge tried to pick himself up, Scar was on him in a heartbeat. Pinned by the older cat's greater weight, Scourge growled as he felt razor sharp claws rake his flesh.  
" It's all over kittypet," sneered Scar, his foetid breath washing over tom. Raising his head to yowl his victory, Scar gave Scourge the brief windows of opportunity he needed. Lashing out with his hind claws, Scourge scored a deep cut in the tom's soft underbelly. Reeling back in shock and pain, Scar staggered back slightly, allowing Scourge to surge upwards, knocking him off. Snarling as he leapt to his feet, Scourge lashed out viciously with his claws rapidly, each time scoring a hit. Weakened from his stomach wound, Scar could do little to defend himself against Scourge's onslaught o claws and teeth.  
Finally, Scourge tore his laws across the old tom's throat. Scar gurgled weakly as blood spurted from the wound, drenching Scourge and the cobblestones beneath him. Staring at Scourge for a second more, Scar's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell, dead as a rock.  
Glancing around, Scourge smirked as he saw Bone and Brick bring down Scar's warriors. He the turned to the shadows.  
" This is the fate of those who oppose BloodClan," he yowled,"You will joined is or you will die!" As if to prove his point, he casually padded over to Scars body. Smashing his paw down onto the tom's face, Scourge heard a snap and a fang rolled to of the body's mouth. Grasping the tooth between his t with, Scourge stabbed it through the battered leather of his collar as a trophy, bringing his total to four.  
Following his example, Brick and Bone did the same so that now also had a single tooth on each of their collars.  
" What will it be?" Scourge snarled at the cats lurking in the darkness. A feeble meow sounded from the back.  
"All hail Scourge."  
This was the taken up by the rest as they padded out into the light. " All hail Scourge!"  
Scourge smiled darkly as he watched the cats. They weren't exactly menacing, many looking like they had not seen many battles from the lack of battle scars, but it was start. It didn't matter. What mattered was that Scourge had faced the first real threat to his ever growing power. He had faced an older and more experienced adversary who had threatened to kill him and all he stood for.  
And Scourge had won!


End file.
